Welcome to Close Call Sports. CCS objectively tracks and analyzes close and controversial calls in sport, with great regard for the rules and spirit of the game. Developed from The Left Field Corner: MLB Umpire Ejection Fantasy League (UEFL), whose purpose is to objectively track and analyze umpire ejections, video instant replay reviews and their corresponding calls, with great regard for the rules and spirit of the game.

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Ejection 044: Jerry Meals (1)

HP Umpire Jerry Meals ejected Tigers Batting Coach Lloyd McClendon for arguing a ball call in the bottom of the 7th inning of the Tigers-Indians game. With two out and none on, Indians batter Jose Lopez took a 0-2 fastball for from Tigers pitcher Doug Fister for a called first ball. In the top of the seventh inning, Tigers batter Miguel Cabrera had taken a 3-0 sinker from Indians pitcher Joe Smith for a called first strike; McClendon believed both pitches were in the same location. Replays indicate the pitch to Lopez was located thigh high and off the outer edge of home plate (px value of 1.293), the call was correct. Though replays indicate the pitch to Cabrera was located thigh high and outside (px value of 0.967), this previous call is not reviewable per UEFL Rule 6-5-c. At the time of the ejection, the contest was tied, 2-2. The Indians ultimately won the contest, 4-2.

So McClendon's strategy is that because he striked a pitch two inches off of home plate, Meals should be yelled at for a pitch four inches off the plate called a ball? Ok.... I'd understand if the pitches were indeed in the exact same spot or even if the pitch called a ball were closer to the outsi corner than the pitch called a strike, but this argument looks rather unproductive.

Lets not forget that to McClendon's point of view the pitches were in the same spot. He is looking at the plate from somewhere near a 90 degree angle. From that angle you can see up and down, but cant really tell in and out.

Steve it's as easy as this.....If your not, as a player, talking about the last call made, then as a player your wrong. There is a window for allowable comments, it doesn't stay open long.At some point comments about previous calls become abuse.So back to your point, this is why Jerry is correct, and Rat McClendon is still wrong.

While I don't have a problem with Meals running McClendon, we shouldn't be patting Meals on the back here either. The earlier pitch that he called against Cabrera was outside AND absolutely butchered by F2. The later pitch to Lopez was outside but framed perfectly yet Meals balled it. The EJ might have been "correct", but the calls leading up to it were not.And "Big Marc", the perception of umpires is bad enough as it is. We don't need you to make it worse by calling a coach "Rat".

I've added a link in addition to the embed; if you're receiving an error message from the player, perhaps the Docs/Drive direct link will work. The video is hosted by Google Docs/Drive and plays in a flash player similar to the one YouTube uses; the video therefore does not work on devices such as iPad or iPhone.

I encourage you to register a name. You have admonished me behind vail for calling McClendon a Rat. While you may not like the term, really your problem is, you have no idea "how" and "why" I'm using it. I won't explain it to you, but I suggest less than 10% of the posters on this site WILL understand it either, so your in the majority. I think only ex-pro's will understand it, heck that's where I got it from.BAPAcop cited the reason why I called him a rat.

Jerry is correct on the ejection, McClendon is a jerk, everybody knows it. Listen, there's no need to tell me I'm wrong as these are my opinions. Opinions cannot be right or wrong, there opinions, you can disagree.

It is a joke to think Jerry has to be 100% correct on every pitch. He's human, it's impossible! Good players know this, it's been part of the game for 150yrs. To look at Pitch F/x and judge Jerry is even a bigger joke.

If you told me build a table and only gave me the wood, nails, and a hammer, I could do it. It would be pretty level, nothing would roll off the table. And then if you came over and brought a laser level and tested it, I would say that's unfair and call you MLB, becasue that's exactly what they are doing.

BigMarc is the consummate professional. A real credit to the umpiring profession. With that attitude, I'm truly shocked MLB hasn't promoted his directly to crew chief. He'd fit right in with the new breed of MLB umpires.

That pitch is awfully close. The way the umpires have been calling Ks and BBs this year, this seems to be a strike to me. Can't give a SP an inch off the plate some nights, and restrict it on others. Be consistent.

"Jerry is correct on the ejection, McClendon is a jerk, everybody knows it. Listen, there's no need to tell me I'm wrong as these are my opinions. Opinions cannot be right or wrong, there opinions, you can disagree."

I must have missed the part in the rules manual that describes how a "rat" should be ejected (as opposed to using something tangible like, oh, let's say "merit").

I am not sure what "new breed of posters" means (someone scripted that term in a comment above, and to quote Lebron it is "stupid"), but Anon has some learning to do.